UMB School of Social Work: Christag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/umbssw/Chris//4042009-01-06T12:33:58ZMovable Type 3.34Idle Hands?tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/umbssw/Chris//404.85202009-01-05T20:49:28Z2009-01-06T12:33:58Z NEVER!!! We are between semesters and although it is tempting to relax I will, as mentioned last time, remain busy. The holiday season has come and gone, and as usual I am frustrated with how little I was able...Christargetx
NEVER!!! We are between semesters and although it is tempting to relax I will, as mentioned last time, remain busy. The holiday season has come and gone, and as usual I am frustrated with how little I was able to accomplish. I have been able to do some preliminary research for my proposal but am still lacking the progress to begin writing and I have not even touched the list of advanced year placement sites, too much travel. But Tuesday begins my placement again, which will reduce the amount of time I have to do everything.
With the semester beginning again on January 20th, inauguration day, I have to build structure into my days as I attempt to put together my proposal and apply for advanced field I begin to think about the future, uncertainties and professional focus. The future is uncertain outside of school. Exactly what road will I travel and where will I focus and how will this impact on my future? These are questions I have begun to ponder, it’s never too early to think about where I want to go and in fact this insight in beneficial. I will leave you this time with a quote from German Playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “There is nothing so terrible as insight without activity.”
I wish you all peace and happiness.
So close, yet...tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Chris//404.84282008-12-18T21:09:04Z2008-12-19T12:34:54Z So the semester is winding down, I have taken all of the tests required of me and spent many hours getting acquainted with my old friend, the library. I have written a group paper analyzing a local community, written...Christargetx
So the semester is winding down, I have taken all of the tests required of me and spent many hours getting acquainted with my old friend, the library. I have written a group paper analyzing a local community, written a research proposal, and taken all four of my finals. This does not mean a finish; I still have two more papers due by the end of the day Friday. Even Friday however does not indicate a relief. Friday ends my semester, officially and otherwise but I then begin work on choosing my advanced year placement and drafting my research proposal for the fall of ‘09. And this does not even take into account the craziness of the holiday season fast approaching.
Although there are plenty of things to do it is good to stay busy and constantly working on something. However, being busy can be misinterpreted as working, being busy can also encompass self exploration, following a passion, growing as an individual, or creating new friendships. Keeping busy professionally, academically, socially, and personally are all equally as important. This train of thought reminds me of the words of poet/author Kahlil Gibran “To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to do.” And so I continue on keeping busy working toward change and growth.
Peace and happiness to you all.
Passionately Passionatetag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Chris//404.82532008-12-04T01:34:37Z2008-12-04T13:15:55Z As the light at the end of the tunnel becomes visible I cannot feel a sense of relief; that feeling is reserved for the end of the semester. There is a paper and an exam for every class; all...Christargetx
As the light at the end of the tunnel becomes visible I cannot feel a sense of relief; that feeling is reserved for the end of the semester. There is a paper and an exam for every class; all due during the same week! It is for this reason that my strategy of procrastination, so successfully employed as an undergrad, is no longer effective. The information has been well taught and I do not fear the exams. But, without studying I will not be able to pass them. The papers will all be a pleasure to write, I highly enjoy writing, in general, but even more I enjoy writing on subjects in the social sciences. The paper I look forward to writing the most is the case analysis. This paper has charged me with applying one of the theories learned in my Human Behavior class to a case and explaining this person’s behavior through this theoretical lens. The community organization paper, social policy paper, and social research paper will all require equal amounts of thought and be just as stimulating but do not excite me.
This reminds me of how important it is to follow one’s passion. All the stress and work I am enduring right now are self imposed. They are self imposed because I followed my passion into the profession of Social Work. Following one’s passion makes the stress near enjoyable and makes one wonder if they are academically masochistic! This hard work will all pay off in the end though and I leave you with a quote by psychologist Martin Seligman “I believe that traditional wisdom is incomplete. A composer can have all the talent of Mozart and a passionate desire to succeed, but if he believes he cannot compose music, he will come to nothing. He will not try hard enough. He will give up too soon when the elusive right melody takes too long to materialize.”
Peace and happiness to you all.
Self, Me, and I.tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Chris//404.80862008-11-20T21:20:44Z2008-11-21T13:38:26Z Today I sit in my room typing papers that are due on fast approaching deadlines and I think about the parallels between my blogging and my work so far as a Social Worker, in my field placement. The connection...Christargetx
Today I sit in my room typing papers that are due on fast approaching deadlines and I think about the parallels between my blogging and my work so far as a Social Worker, in my field placement. The connection may not be all that clear initially but allow me to explain. Both of these roles require me to form a sort of professional identity and create a new definition of “self.” In other words both require me to form a new sense of myself to portray myself appropriately to the people I am working with. In Social Work those people are my clients and my co-workers. In blogging those people are you --- the reader.
I have been seeing clients in my field placement and have been honing my skills. I have also been attempting to find my voice and create a style of my own. It has to be unique to me but still natural. To complicate things it must also incorporate the techniques we have been taught in classes and still include the natural empathy, compassion, and caring that help to make Social Workers effective. This is a daunting task but one that is important to becoming good Social Worker. Creating a new self identity brings with it a bundle of anxiety and a feeling of rediscovery as you attempt to find your new voice.
As I continue to write this blog for all of you I am also attempting to find my voice and to create another sense of myself. This self is largely defined by you. What do I think you would want to hear about? How can I write in an informative and enjoyable way for you? These are a few of the questions that enter into my head as I write these entries. It is in this way that I am attempting to find my blogging voice and create a new definition of self, at least as a writer.
As we continue on this journey through my foundation year in the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland at Baltimore I will continue to refine my sense of self as I continue to refine my sense of self as a Social Worker. Because growth is a process that occurs through-out life, I will constantly be redefining my sense of self. With this thought I am reminded of a quote by teacher, philosopher and psychologist John Dewey “The Self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.”
I wish you all peace and happiness.
Ahhh, a sigh of relief or stress?tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Chris//404.77532008-10-29T21:21:01Z2008-10-30T12:14:24Z Well, midterms are now done and just as soon as I exhaled things have picked right back up again. The sheer volume of information to have learned for the tests was great and all I want to do is...Christargetx
Well, midterms are now done and just as soon as I exhaled things have picked right back up again. The sheer volume of information to have learned for the tests was great and all I want to do is take a breather from studying but the readings keep on coming and the papers all have due dates attached to them. There is no time to step back. The mid-terms grades that I have gotten back have been good, better than I expected actually. So all that’s left to do is to keep pushing on, keep clacking away on the keyboard, keep reading, keep asking questions, and most importantly keep striving to fully understand as much as possible. It is a marathon run by the brain, and December is looking more and more appealing, although that brings its own stressors. I have entered a portion of my first semester that is heavy on papers to write and chapters to read. Then there will be the looming final exams in December.
In the mean time I am forming relationships with fellow students, professors, and other members of the UMB community. The new friends and colleagues are intelligent friendly and thoughtful and always up for a lively discussion. In addition to the new friends it is time to start thinking about the next semester: it is nearly time to sign up for courses for the spring semester. With my courses planned out for my time here at UMB I am ready to wake up early and sign up, I know the teachers I want to get and the classes I want to take, it is just a matter of ensuring that I get those that I want.
I now, having written this entry, reflect on just how fast the semester has gone as I am planning for the next semester and beyond and making an official decision on my concentration and specialization and I am reminded of this quote from Albert Einstein “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once” although, sometimes it sure feels like it.
I wish you all peace and happiness.
Stress heats up for Mid-termstag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Chris//404.75632008-10-16T12:30:46Z2008-10-16T12:36:07Z The semester is now halfway over. This is reason for celebration; the first semester of my first year of graduate school is near completion. However, with this celebration comes the stress of mid-terms, which of course are all scheduled...Christargetx
The semester is now halfway over. This is reason for celebration; the first semester of my first year of graduate school is near completion. However, with this celebration comes the stress of mid-terms, which of course are all scheduled within a span of 7 days! This means lots of studying and little socializing for me in the near future but the topics are of interest. This makes the sacrifice worthwhile and at least somewhat enjoyable. I’m enjoying learning about human behavior theories, social policies, specific individual counseling techniques, and yes, even research helps make the sacrifice endurable and worthwhile. Learning about a subject in a concentrated way is a very exciting process and makes it that much easier to apply what I am learning across classes, and in this case to my field placement.
Last night I allowed myself a brief reprieve from studying and writing papers to watch the presidential debates. I thought my candidate of choice did a very good job and I find myself thinking about the policies we are learning about in class and how each candidate’s positions will affect social policies. As you can see, even when not studying, the course content is always in on my mind; but this only helps to extend the course content into the real world and outside of the classroom.
So as I get back to preparing for midterms and attempting to keep myself sane by thinking about politics, music, and the great outdoors I am reminded of a quote made by an anonymous person “Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize that you haven’t fallen asleep yet.” I think that pretty accurately sums up the mindset of midterms. Until next time, I wish you peace and happiness.
The School Year Beginstag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/umbssw/Chris//404.73752008-10-01T11:54:43Z2008-10-01T12:44:38Z The start of the school year signals the beginning of a new chapter in life, the opening of the mind to new concepts and new ways of thinking, and of course the ever present stress. I begin my journey...Christargetx
The start of the school year signals the beginning of a new chapter in life, the opening of the mind to new concepts and new ways of thinking, and of course the ever present stress. I begin my journey into the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland at Baltimore with a sense of immense excitement and uncertainty. The excitement stems from the opportunities to learn new concepts and to apply these and previously learned concepts into the real world. The uncertainty is over what lies ahead in terms of the specifics; in other words what will my path involve, what stumbles will I encounter and what or who will be most influential to my development as a Social Worker.
As you begin to follow me in my journey and in making the uncertain become certain, I think it is appropriate for you to know a little about me. I was born and raised in Gaithersburg, MD and I have a mother and father as well as an older brother and not much in terms of an extended family. I enjoy backpacking, sports, writing and music. Two things greatly shaped me growing up and still form an enormous part of my identity; music and nature. Both of these things provided me with an artistic outlet as well as a way to relax. They also helped shape the way I view the world. Nature and music are to things we as humans enjoy in life that cross cultures. Different cultures may appreciate nature in different ways from one another or enjoy different types of music from one another but, in my experience, all cultures have some appreciation of some form of music and some form of appreciation for nature. I will end my first entry with a quote from a Grateful Dead song “Ripple,” a quote that I was reminded of by a friend shortly before I left my last job: “There is a road, no simple highway, Between the dawn and the dark of night, And if you go no one will follow, That path is for your steps alone.” However, I invite you to vicariously follow me down my path into the world of Social Work.